CVE-2026-20700
CWE-119Published: February 12, 2026· Updated: Feb 13, 2026
Official Description
Apple iOS, macOS, tvOS, watchOS, and visionOS contain an improper restriction of operations within the bounds of a memory buffer vulnerability that could allow an attacker with memory write the capability to execute arbitrary code.
CISA KEV Advisory
Apple Multiple Buffer Overflow Vulnerability
Apple iOS, macOS, tvOS, watchOS, and visionOS contain an improper restriction of operations within the bounds of a memory buffer vulnerability that could allow an attacker with memory write the capability to execute arbitrary code.
Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.
Risk Analysis
This vulnerability in Apple iOS, macOS, tvOS, watchOS, and visionOS is an improper restriction of operations within memory buffers, which could allow an attacker with memory write capabilities to execute arbitrary code. With a CVSS score of 7.8 and confirmed active exploitation (EPSS 0.00424, KEV), this is a high-severity flaw that requires prompt patching.
This vulnerability is actively exploited in the wild, as confirmed by its presence in CISA's KEV catalog. Exploitation requires an attacker to have memory write capabilities on the affected device.
It is critical to update all affected Apple devices, including iPhones, iPads, Macs, Apple TVs, Apple Watches, and Apple Vision Pro, to the latest available operating system versions. Applying these updates will address the vulnerability.
Technical Analysis
CVE-2026-20700 requires local access, meaning attackers must already have a foothold on the target system.
Exploitation requires low privileges, which limits the exposure to scenarios where an attacker has already gained initial access.
A successful exploit results in complete confidentiality breach (data exposure), full integrity compromise (data manipulation), availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 7.8.
CISA has added CVE-2026-20700 to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, confirming active exploitation in the wild. U.S. federal agencies are required to patch this within the mandated timeframe, and all organizations should treat remediation as urgent.
From a weakness classification perspective (CWE-119): Buffer overflow vulnerabilities can lead to arbitrary code execution or denial of service by corrupting adjacent memory.
CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown
Affected Vendors & Products
Exploit & PoC Resources
News & Research Mentioning CVE-2026-20700
CISA has added four new vulnerabilities to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) Catalog, based on evidence of active exploitation. CVE-2024-43468 Microsoft Configuration Manager SQL Injection Vulnerability CVE-2025-15556 Notepad++ Download of Code Without Integrity Check Vulnerability CVE-2025-40536 SolarWinds Web Help Desk Security Control Bypass Vulnerability CVE-2026-20700 Apple Multiple Buffer Overflow Vulnerability These types of vulnerabilities are frequent attack vectors for malicious cyber actors and pose significant risks to the federal enterprise. Binding Operational Directive (BOD) 22-01: Reducing the Significant Risk of Known Exploited Vulnerabilities established the KEV Catalog as a living list of known Common Vulnerabilities and Ex [xlite_meta score:47 src:CISA Alerts xlite_fp:098a19bd7fa4d5615695022f72e740127ed9fc369ea6e6a0fc9f3b03774191fd]
Apple on Wednesday released iOS, iPadOS, macOS Tahoe, tvOS, watchOS, and visionOS updates to address a zero-day flaw that it said has been exploited in sophisticated cyber attacks. The vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2026-20700 (CVSS score: 7.8), has been described as a memory corruption issue in dyld, Apple's Dynamic Link Editor. Successful exploitation of the vulnerability could allow an [xlite_meta score:36 src:The Hacker News xlite_fp:bd15a6df23029ddd40571fca482af372f99fa421a103df66581dde3a2e7d3220]
All References (6)
Quick Facts
Known Threat Actors
Related CVEs (CWE-119)
Recommended Actions
- →Apply vendor patches immediately
- →Monitor CVE-2026-20700 in threat intel feeds
- →Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts
- !CISA KEV: Federal agencies must patch per BOD 22-01 timeline
- !Active exploitation confirmed — treat as P1